Window-tent.



w. WALSH. wmnow TENT. APPLICATION SILED NOV. 3,1908.

Patented May 18; 1909.

for general use UNTTEE STATES PATENT FTQE.

WILLIAM E. WALSH, OF MORRIS, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-TENT.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. WALSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morris, in the county of Grundy and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Window-Tents, of which the f0 lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain features of improvement and addition to the window tent shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 840,976, issued to me January 8, 1907. The window tent therein shown and described is intended for use more particularly in the treatment of tuberculosis and other diseases of the lungs and organs of nutrition, although tents of the present character are becoming very popular by all persons who desire to secure the benefits of fresh air during the winter time without the attendant discomforts and dangers of outdoor sleeping.

The general objects and features of the window tent are fully and completely described in the patent above referred to; and the present invention relates more particularly to certain additions which render the tent more convenient and adapted more perfectly for household and hospital use.

In the tent described in the patent referred to no means are provided for the removal and substitution of the under or skirt portion of the tent which frequently becomes soiled or infected in use, so that it must of necessity be disinfected and washed.

; The tent of the present invention is so constructed as to permit of such removal and the substitution of another skirt portion without difficulty and in a manner to prevent leakage of air through the seam.

The present invention further relates to the strap which is provided for holding the tent, when folded, elevated above the level of the bed, which is the most convenient and satisfactory method of stowing the tent during the day in order to permit the bed to be moved or made up.

The present invention further relates to an arched brace, which is fitted to the lower side walls of the tent and serves to hold the walls distended when the tent is in use, and at the same time is so secured to the tent walls as to avoid interference with tent.

Further objects will appear from the de tailed description of the invention, which consists in the features of construction and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 3, 1908.

the folding of the l Patented May 18, 1909. Serial No. 460,942.

combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken through the center of the tent, Fig. 2 a longitudinal plan view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a front elevation of the tent when in folded position and Fig. 4 a detail, showing the special skirt having apertures for the accommodation of two occupants.

Like the tent of the patent referred to, the present tent is in the form of a boXlike structure of canvas or other fabric, comprising side walls 5, a roof 6, a rear end wall 7, and a bottom wall 8. The forward end of the tent is open and is buckled to a rectangular frame, comprising side rails 9, a top rail 10, and a bottom rail 11 which is intended to be of a size to fit within 'a window opening. The frame has secured to its outer edge a canopy 12 similar to that described in the atent, which canopy is open at its under side 13 for the admission of fresh air during stormy or rainy weather. The canopy is held distended by means of brackets 14 and 15 which are hinged to bracket plates 16 in all respects like those shown in my prior patent. These features of construction differ not at all from the construction described in said patent, and further description is, therefore, deemed unnecessary.

The bottom wall 8 of the tent, as shown, is

cut away to provide a large opening whichcomprises substantially the entire lower portion of the tent, and this opening is closed by means of a loose skirt 17 which is preferably composed of a soft warm fabric, like cotton flannel; and the skirt is of a size to hang a considerable distance away from the opening, to which its edges are attached in order to permit the userto move his head from end to end thereof, thereby enabling him to bring his face either close to the open end of the tent, into which the fresh air is admitted, or toward the rear end of the tent, depending upon the temperature and condition of the weather. The edges of the skirt are secured to the edges of the tent fabric by means of lacings 18 which serve to tightly secure the skirt to the tent in such a manner as to prevent leakage of air through the seam or crack, which is important, especially in very cold weather, in order that the cold air may be closely confined within the tent itself and not be allowed to escape into the room and chill the body of the user. The skirt of the tent is provided with a puckered opening 19, through which the head of the occupant is inserted; and the puckered formation is one which causes the fabric of the skirt, around the opening, to closely surround the neck of the occupant, after his head has been inserted, so that air will not escape through the opening. In Fig. 4 two openings are shown, which is a special construction adapting the tent for use by two persons.

In the tent of the patent previously referred to, some difficulty is experienced by reason of a tendency for the lower ten-t walls to flap or sag on account of a lack of sufficient support; and to overcome this tendency an arched distending bracket frame 20 is provided, comprising side rails 21 and an arched connecting rail 22. The rear ends of the side rails are sewed into pockets 23 at the rear lower corners of the tent wall,- and the side rails are slidable through sleeves 24 located near the forward ends of the side walls. The tent structure is held elevated and supported by a main bracket frame 25, the forward ends of which are pivoted within bracket plates 26 on the side rails 9 of the main frame of the window tent. The main bracket frame serves to elevate and distend the upper or roof portion of the tent, and this, in conjunction with the distending frame, serves to give the side and rear walls the necessary support and hold them distended and prevent flapping or sagging on windy nights, thereby greatly adding to the comfort and convenience of the user.

During the day, when the tent ordinarily is not in use, it is desirable to stow it into as compact a form as possible and in order to accomplish this result without the incon venience of bodily removing the tent from the window a strap 27 is provided, which is secured to one of the side rails of the main tent frame, and is provided, on its free end, with a ring 28 which is adapted to hook over a cleat 29 on the opposite side rail. When it is desirable to stow'the tent, the main bracket frame 25 is elevated and the distending bracket thrust inwardly, which brings the two bracket frames into substantial parallelism, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the flexible canvas covering of course accommodating itself to the positionof the frames. With the frames in the position indicated, the entire tent may be swung upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the two bracket frames, with the flexible covering attached thereto, will lie :up against the main frame of the window tent and in close contact with the window, in which position they can be held and sustained by hooking the ring on the strap over the cleat, .as shown in Fig. 3. This stows the tent :flat against the window and immediately above the bed, so that it can be instantly lowered for use when desired. The rear wall 7 of the tent is engagement with the outside of provided with a flexible window 30 which registers with a window opening 31. The flexible Window is preferably in the form of a celluloid sheet sewed within a surrounding window frame 32, which latter is provided, in its ends, with flexible bars 33 which project outwardly, forming ears or tongues which are entered into slots 34 in the end of the tent. The details of this flexible window are not a part of this present invention, so that further description at this point is deemed unnecessary.

In order to prevent the admission of flies, mosquitos or other insects, especially during moderately warm weather, a screen 35 of ordinary screening or mosquito net-ting is stretched from the main frame, and immediately within the screen is located a curtain 36 which serves as a wind break in stormy weather. The curtain is carried by an endless cord 37 which is entered through the edges of the wind break curtain, which latter is folded back and forth, as shown in Fig. 1. The curtain is fastened at its upper .end 38 to the cord, and at its lower end '39 to the bottom rail of the frame. By pulling on the endless cord the curtain can be elevated or loweredas desired. In order to regulate the position of the canopy a cord 40 is provided, which is connected with the bracket 13, its opposite-end being run along the frame to a position in which it can be wrapped around the cleat 29 so that the canopy can be ad- .justed to any desired position.

In fair weather the canopy will be entirely raisedso as to lie flat up against the-outside of the main frame, which latteris held within the window opening. When the weather is moderate, it is desirable for the occupant to move as close to the window openingas possible, .and the looseness of the skirt permits ample movement to allow the head of the user to be shifted to any desired position. In very cold weather it is desirable to retreat from the window opening toward the rear end of the tent and also to secure a position such that the body will be entirely out from under the tent, leaving only the face exposed within :the tent near the rear end thereof. The looseness of theskirt permits these various movementsof the body, which are necessary in order .to secure the most beneficial results from the use of the tent during diflerent conditions .of the weather. If, after use for some time, the skirt becomes infected or soiled, it can be readily removed by removing'the lacing and a substitute skirt provided, so that the tent can be used without interruption while the soiled skirt is being washed 1 or otherwise cleaned.

The main or body portion of the tent is buckled to the tent frame by snap bucklesor similar fastening-devices, and is held in close the frame by means of a vcord 41, which arrangement of buckles and cords permits the tent to be removed from the frame if it is desired to wash or disinfect it. Under ordinary conditions, however, the cleaning and disinfecting of the skirt will be sufficient to maintain the tent in proper sanitary condition. When the occupant of the tent rises in the morning he re moves his head from the puckered opening in i the skirt and thereafter shoves forward the rear lower corner of the tent which projects the distending arched bracket forwardly and throws it into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. With the parts in this position, the whole inner portion of the tent can be swung up and strapped out of the way of the bed and in close proximity to the wall so as to not interfere with the bed or other objects in the room. The window 30, being flexible, can be very readily inserted into and removed from the window opening, and this is done by bending or bowing the flexible bars 33 which are thus pro ected into or retracted from the slots provided to receive them.

This is a great convenience in that it provides means for obtaining ready access to the occupant of the tent, and furthermore permits the end of the tent to be opened up during moderate weather in order to increase the circulation through the tent without direct ing a draft against the body of the user. The window, furthermore, greatly adds to the comfort, convenience and cheerfulness of the occupant, who is thus enabled to easily obtain a view of the interior of the room.

The various improvements and modifications incorporated into the tent of the present invention add greatly to its convenience and perfection and enable the tent to be used in a room without interfering in any way with the arrangement of the room during the daytime. Furthermore, the method of folding or stowing the tent is one which permits it to be turned back out of the way and covered over by a curtain which conceals its presence in the room.

What I regard as new and by Letters Patent is:

1. In a window tent, the combination of a body portion of boxlike formation, a main bracket frame engaging the upper or roof portion of the body, and a distending frame comprising side rails and a connecting cross rail, the side rails being rigidly connected at one point to the side walls of the tent body and slidable with respect to the remainder of the tent body and adapted to be adjusted into substantially parallel relation with the main bracket frame, substantially as de scribed.

2. In a window tent, the combination of a boxlike body portion, a main frame to which the ends of the body portion are secured, a main bracket pivoted to the main frame and engaging the roof of the body portion and desire to secure 1 adapted to be swung into substantially arallel relation with the main frame, and a distending frame having its ends rigidly connected to the lower portion of the tent wall and adapted to be moved back into substantially parallel relation with the main bracket frame for permitting the bracket frame and the tent body carried thereby to be swung into substantially parallel relation with the main frame of the tent, substantially as described.

3. In a window tent, the combination of a boxlike body portion, a main frame to which the ends of the body portion are secured, a main bracket pivoted to the-main frame and engaging the roof of the body portion and adapted to be swung into substantially parallel relation with the main frame, a distending frame having its ends rigidly con nected to the lower portion of the tent wall and adapted to be moved back into substantially parallel relation with the main bracket frame for permitting the bracket frame and the tent body carried thereby to be swung into substantially parallel relation with the main frame of the tent, and a strap adapted to be passed around the tent and frames when folded for holding the same in folded position, substantially as described.

4. In a window tent, the combination of a boxlike body portion, a main frame to which the ends of the body portion are secured, a main bracket pivoted to the main frame and engaging the roof of the body portion and adapted to be swung into substantially parallel relation with the main frame, a distending frame having its ends rigidly connected to the lower portion of the tent wall and adapted to be moved back into substantially parallel relation with the main bracket frame for permitting the bracket frame and the tent body carried thereby to be swung into substantially parallel relation with the main frame of the tent, a strap connected at one end to the main tent frame and provided at its other end with a fastening device, as a ring, and a member on the opposite side of the main tent frame adapted to be engaged by said fastening device, substantially as described.

5. In a window tent, the combination of a main frame adapted to be held within the window opening, a boxlike body of flexible material secured to the main frame at its forward end, a main bracket frame pivoted to the main frame and engaging the roof of the body, a distending frame of substantially arch formation engaging the walls of the tent body near their lower edges and having its ends rigidly secured to the tent walls near the rear lower corners of the tent, and sleeves for slidably holding the distending bracket and permitting it to be pressed forward in substantially parallel relation with the main bracket frame for permitting the latter, with the flexible tent wall, to be folded in sub- 4 seems ent ally paral .re etion with the main I provided at its oth r end it e as ening tent frame, substantially as described.- deviee, as a ring, a d e membe 11 t e oppo- 6. In a Wind w tent, the eombine ionof a "lie side o the mai tent am adapte boxlike body portion, a main fneme to which be eng g/ed by said fasiaen ing dBVlOB, for

5 he nds o he ody po tion a se ur d, a holding he ten fo ded, substant a ly a 15 main bracket pivoted to the frame and endescribed.

gaging the roof of the body portion emd WILLIAM E. adapted to be swung into substantially peml- Witne e l relati n wi h he mainframe, a: strap cen- =SAMUEL BANNING,

10 nected at one end to the main tent frame and P ERso W. BANNING. 

